The key project of President Lopez Obrador intends to be inaugurated next December, although section 1 is expected to be ready in July.
The head of the Secretary of Defense of Mexico (Sedena), Luis Crescencio Sandoval, reported this Monday that specialized battalions will be created to guarantee security on the railway and in the archaeological sites surrounding the Mayan Train.
“Although there is already a Tourist Battalion Guard, another unit of this characteristic will be created so that it can provide security in the archaeological zones,” the official explained during the usual conference of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The secretary explained that 5,000 members of the National Guard and elements of the Air Force will be in charge of monitoring and protecting the more than 1,500 kilometers of railway, the stations and terminals of the work, the archaeological zones of the region and the workshops and depots of the Train.
It is contemplated that the security forces also guard inside the train cars and that Air Force helicopters monitor the entire route.
For this purpose, the Government plans to build National Guard facilities along the entire route of the Train, as well as new ports for the Air Force in Palenque in the state of Chiapas; in Chetumal and Tulum, in Quintana Roo; and one more in Merida, Yucatan.
The Government hopes to finish building the work in December of this year, however, it is claimed that the section 1 can be delivered in July. In addition to the safety announcements, the authorities responsible for the work also reported on Monday the progress made in other areas, such as archeology and infrastructure.
New details about the archaeological rescue
Regarding the progress in the registration and preservation of archaeological assets in Section 1, the head of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Diego Prieto, reported that the works concluded with “silent tasks” of cleaning, ordering, analysis and interpretation of 2,568 registered properties, 202 movable goods found and 244,708 potsherds found.
Likewise, the official reported the discovery of 177 burials and 38 natural features associated so far.
Regarding the improvement and research program of the archaeological site of Palenque in Chiapas, one of the most important enclaves of Mayan culture, Prieto announced that 87% of the visitor service center has already been built, so it can be inaugurated in May .
Progress at the airport in Chiapas
In relation to the international airport of Palenque, a representative of the Secretary of Defense (Sedena) -the agency in charge of the work- reported that they are working on expanding the aviation aprons, taxiways, air security strips and the vehicular parking of the property, in order to increase operational capacity of the same.
Likewise, the passenger terminal of the air port will be remodeled and the a fuel terminal to expedite loading of the aircraft.
The work started on January 11 and is expected to be completed in the next 12 months. For this purpose, the Sedena has allocated a budget of 891 million pesos (approximately 44.55 million dollars).
The details of the new hotel in Palenque
To ensure accommodation is available on the train routes, a hotel is planned to be built in Palenque. The new property will be ready on November 30 of this year and requires an investment of 960 million pesos (48 million dollars), reported the Sedena on Monday.
The hotel will have a service building and two towers with 625 rooms, gym, bar, restaurant, among other amenities. The property will also have a swimming pool and a parking lot with a capacity of 212 vehicles.
Other advances
Among other issues, Rutilio Escandon, governor of Chiapas, reported that the construction of the Polytechnic University with the career of railway engineering, progresses favorably. While Ariadna Montiel, Secretary of Welfare, indicated that more than 2.6 million people in Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco have benefited from pensions granted by the Government.
For his part, the governor of Tabasco, Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, pointed out that with two stations and a stop in the state, the Mayan Train will be able to unify the entity with the rest of the country, especially with the new Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
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Source: RT
